Neil Druckmann on Continuing 'The Last of Us' TV Show Beyond Games if No 'The Last of Us 3'

As fans eagerly await the next chapter of The Last of Us following the conclusion of the HBO series' coverage of the second video game in Seasons 2 and 3, uncertainty surrounds the future of the video game series. Series creator Neil Druckmann recently hinted at the possibility that The Last of Us 3 might not come to fruition, stating, "I guess the only thing I would say is don’t bet on there being more of 'Last of Us.' This could be it."

This raises the question of whether Naughty Dog and Druckmann would continue the TV show beyond the events of the existing games. When asked by IGN at the premiere of The Last of Us Season 2, Druckmann revealed that he has a definitive ending in mind for the story, regardless of whether a third game is made. "I have to have an ending," he emphasized. "When I made The Last of Us 1, I didn’t know if there was going to be a sequel, so that had to be a definitive ending. When I worked on Uncharted 4, I don’t know if we’ll ever get to do it again. I need it to be a definitive ending. Last of Us 2, same way. All these things have to line up."

Druckmann's commitment to providing a conclusive narrative stems from uncertainty about his future in the industry and the opportunities he might receive. "I don’t know how long I’ll keep doing this or whether I’ll be given another opportunity. So I leave nothing on the line," he added. "Right now it’s like, we have an ending in mind. And that ending will be it. That ending will be it for this story."

Druckmann's busy schedule adds another layer of complexity to the potential development of The Last of Us 3. With his focus on finishing Season 2 of the TV show, planning for Season 3, and working on the new PlayStation game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, his time is stretched thin. "As far as everything else, and you’re asking me about future games, my time so much is, we have to finish this season," Druckmann said. "We’re not quite done. We’re almost there. Knock on wood we get to do it again. Season 3, there’s a lot more story we have to cover, as you know with game two. And then my hands are pretty full with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet."

The Last of Us Season 2 Character Posters

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In February 2024, Druckmann teased a potential concept for The Last of Us 3 at the end of Grounded 2: Making The Last of Us Part 2, suggesting that there might be "one more chapter to this story." He elaborated on the thematic continuity from the first two games, stating, "The first game had such a clean concept of like, the unconditional love a parent feels for their child. The second one, once we landed on this idea of the pursuit of justice at any cost, justice for the ones you love, we felt like, 'there's a clean concept here and there's a throughline from the first game, about love.' If we never get to do it again, this is a fine ending point. Last bite of the apple, the story's done."

Druckmann also highlighted the creative freedom he enjoys at Naughty Dog, noting, "The great thing about working at Naughty Dog is that we don't have to. It's always like, 'we would love another Last of Us, but if you guys feel you're passionate about something else, we'll support this other thing.' Very privileged position to be in, I never take that for granted. I've been just thinking about it, 'is there a concept there?' And for now years, I haven't been able to find that concept. But recently, that's changed, and I don't have a story, but I do have that concept that to me is as exciting as 1, as exciting as 2, is its own thing, and yet has this throughline for all three. So it does feel like there's probably one more chapter to this story."